Supa Mario locked and loaded for pandemic entertainment
● UitenPhRage-raised comic finds his voice on daily Facebook Live show
“Every day at 7.30, like 7de Laan, we are going to be there.”
Like clockwork each night, Uitenhage-raised Mario Campbell has his myriad social media followers in stitches with his quirky take on life’s experiences.
Laughter on Lockdown TV, the brainchild of the 38-yearold funnyman, first went live on Facebook on March 21.
Since then, the livestreamed hour-long show has reeled in the fans and featured comedic heavyweights such as SA’s Riaad Moosa and Rodney Perry of the US, better known as Harold in the Madea movie franchise.
Now based back in his birthplace, Cape Town, Campbell said the idea behind Laughter on Lockdown TV was to put something together that would set the stage for regular live performances online.
“The idea came from the fact that we don’t have a [physical] stage so why not go live on [social media] — I have always wanted to play with the idea to do lives.
“I [initially] committed myself to 21 days of content ... but five months later everyone knows about Supa Mario the Comic and Laughter on Lockdown.
“It’s hard to raise your profile and get your name out there because there is a lot of competition,” Campbell said.
A year ago, Campbell, who by day works at the Cape Town International Airport as a supervisor, had his first taste of stand-up comedy — and he has not looked back.
Entered into a comedy showdown, Campbell said the experience was terrifying — something he should have figured out by the name of the venue that hosted the competition. “My first performance was on September 4 so it is a year exactly.
“The place’s name was ‘The Knob’ and I should have known by the name there would be problems.
“No-one told me at the time that a comedy showdown with 100 people [in the audience] is absolutely terrifying.
“Out of 28 comedians who went, I went dead last and all I can say is you don’t want to end a show like that,” he said.
A self-professed daredevil, Campbell said he always did things other people were too scared to tackle.
“Last year, I was in that phase where I have a day job but I want to try something for the first time and I have always been a fan of stand-up comedy,” he said.
Comedy, he says, is a
“strange thing” because it is not just standing on a stage making people laugh but is a meticulous art.
“It is a planned thing, your set when you start in comedy is five minutes.
“Now, five minutes doesn’t seem like a lot but five minutes to tell jokes — if I put you on stage for five minutes it is going to feel like five hours.”
Drawing from his life experiences, including living in Uitenhage, Durban and Cape Town, Campbell said his comedy was for everyone and he hoped it would resonate with people from all walks of life.
“My thing is to show just a normal guy who uses everyday life and real situations because there is no way you can steal my life, or my jokes.
“I am speaking about my own personal experiences and it’s much easier to speak about your experiences than to make up things.
“I went into lockdown as Mario Campbell and I came out of lockdown as Supa Mario the Comic.
“Without the lockdown I would never have achieved what I have — now I have a much clearer idea of what I want.”
Campbell said he drew much inspiration from his wife and two daughters.
“They laugh at my jokes for free and they think they are funnier than me but they are very supportive.”
Laughter on Lockdown TV is on Facebook Live daily at 7.30pm and Campbell himself is on every day except Fridays “because it’s good to give other comedians a break”.
Follow Campbell on social media, including Instagram and Twitter on @supamariocomic and @laughteronlockdownsa or on Facebook at Supa Mario Comic and Laughter On Lockdown TV.